Workshop Overview

In this experiential live webinar for Indiana APT, participants will explore the integration of neuroscience and play therapy to create a trauma-informed approach for children, adolescents, and adults. The session will cover how play therapy can support nervous system regulation through the reciprocity of play, including attuned movement, sound, and nature. These techniques help clients feel safe, connected, and more regulated, with greater autonomic flexibility.

Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how trauma impacts the nervous system, recognizing the adaptability of behavior as a survival strategy. The session will cover the neural pathways and brain regions involved in sensory processing during play therapy and how predictability and familiarity can help regulate the nervous system, creating a felt sense of safety in the body, relationships, and environment.

The webinar will explore the integration of both top-down and bottom-up approaches in play therapy, helping participants understand the regions of the brain and their influence on the healing process. This will enable participants to assist clients in accessing safety, even when feeling “safe” doesn’t feel safe. It will also address adaptive behaviors and how the nervous system adapts to stress, trauma, and past experiences, guiding participants in recognizing hybrid states of the autonomic nervous system as part of the therapeutic process.

Through practical strategies, participants will learn how to incorporate attuned movement, sound, and nature-based techniques into play therapy sessions to support nervous system regulation. They will leave with tools to help children, adolescents, and adults feel more regulated, connected, and empowered in therapy.

By the end of this webinar, participants will be equipped to apply neurobiology-informed, trauma-sensitive interventions that foster a sense of safety and emotional integration, helping clients engage with trauma in a playful, regulated way.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe how play therapy can utilize the reciprocity of play through attuned movement, sound, and nature to regulate a child’s nervous system.

2. Identify the neural pathways and brain regions involved in sensory processing during play therapy, emphasizing the role of predictability and familiarity.

3. Discuss how play therapy integrates top-down and bottom-up approaches to promote a child’s sense of safety and support integration.

4. Explain the neuroscientific basis for using play therapy techniques that incorporate attuned movement, sound, and nature to enhance neural regulation.

5. Demonstrate practical strategies for incorporating attuned movement, sound, and nature into play therapy sessions to support a child’s nervous system regulation.

6. Apply the knowledge of neurobiology to create play therapy interventions that foster a sense of safety, predictability, and nervous system regulation in children and adolescents.

7. Assess the impact of trauma on a child’s nervous system and develop play therapy interventions to address these effects through sensory-based techniques.

Optional Material to have on Hand

Paper

Crayons

Meaningful Object

Clay or Play Dough

Bubbles

Ball

 

Meet our Presenter:

Jackie Flynn, EdS, LMHC-S, RPT-S™ is a trauma-informed therapist, author, and passionate advocate for the healing power of play. She is the creator of the EMDR with Kids Flip Chart: A Play-Based Tool for Trauma Processing, Nervous System Regulation, and the Transformation of Adaptive Behaviors and co-host of the Neuroscience of Play Therapy Summit.

Jackie owns a thriving private practice in Cocoa Beach, Florida, where she works with children, teens, and families using EMDR, play therapy, and nervous system-informed approaches. She is also the founder of several vibrant online communities, including Play Therapy Community, EMDR with Kids Community, and EMDR Playground with spaces where therapists from around the world come together to learn, grow, and support one another.

Known for her heartfelt teaching style, Jackie helps therapists integrate developmentally appropriate, play-based strategies into trauma work in ways that are practical, connected, and deeply respectful of the child’s experience. Her work is grounded in the belief that healing happens through relationship, regulation, and the incredible power of PLAY.

Continuing Education:

This event is sponsored by the Indiana Association for Play Therapy. The program offers 6.00 non-contact hours with full attendance required. CE verification will be emailed to CE applicants following the event. If you have questions regarding continuing education, contact The Indiana Association for Play Therapy at inapt4u@gmail.com

***Important: It is the responsibility of participants to determine if
CE credit offered by The Indiana Association for Play Therapy
will meet the regulations of their licensing/certification board.